A brief biography of General Ivan Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich

The name Chernyakhovsky is inscribed in gold letters in the history of the Great Patriotic War. This energetic and talented general became one of the brightest young military leaders of those years. During the war, he visited various fronts: he fought in the Baltic, defended Novgorod, defeated Voronezh, was among soldiers during the Battle of Kursk, liberated Ukraine and Belarus.

Childhood

The future general Ivan Chernyakhovsky was born in the city of Uman, which is located near Kiev, in 1906. His father (Danil Nikolaevich) was a switchman on the railway. When the war with Germany began, he was drafted to the front, where he received a concussion. Returning, the head of the family went to the Podolsk province, where he was a coachman at the landowner. The mother of the child was a housewife. Parents died in 1919 because of typhus. So there are six orphans left.

Ivan at first did not longly graze cows from local peasants, and in 1920 began to homeless in a war-ravaged country. Once at work on the railway, he managed to get the experience of a locksmith, after which he became the conductor of goods on the routes around Odessa.

In the army of the USSR

In 1924, the young man, by order of the Komsomol, was sent to a local infantry school. Thus began the biography of General Chernyakhovsky in the ranks of the Soviet Army. Later he studied as an artilleryman in Kiev. This school was completed in 1928. Then he was enlisted as the commander of one of the platoons of the 17th artillery regiment in the city of Vinnitsa.

On the eve of the Great Patriotic War, the biography of General Chernyakhovsky made another turn. He was appointed to the 28th Panzer Division (commander). It was deployed in the Baltic States.

The War Begins

In the last days of the world, the USSR and the Third Reich were preparing for war. However, Stalin believed that the Germans would attack only a year later. Therefore, all the preparatory measures were not directed to the siyusecond mobilization (even despite the intelligence information).

On June 18, Chernyakhovsky's division was ordered to leave its apartments and relocate to a place near the Lithuanian city of Siauliai. Theoretically, the military had to engage in planned exercises. However, on the 22nd day the Germans crossed the border of the USSR. And it turned out that Chernyakhovsky from the very beginning was in the heat of events, as Lithuania was attacked one of the first.

On the second night of the war, the division led by the officer overcame 50 kilometers and was next to the city of Varniai. Problems began to arise with the supply of fuel, because of which the movement stalled. The organizational problems faced by the 28th Panzer Division were ubiquitous. The Red Army was not ready for a sudden blitzkrieg of the German invaders. In addition, the sky above Lithuania from the outset was controlled by German bombers, which caused tangible strikes on land units.

The first battle of Chernyakhovsky was his division's attempt to dislodge the enemy from the town of Kaltinenaya. However, the numerical advantage of the enemy led to a regular defeat of Soviet soldiers. Soon Ivan Danilovich retreated in the general flow of the Red Army.

An important border was the Western Dvina, as well as the city of Elipai, where a bloody battle with the soldiers of the Reich began. Also, the division received an order to cover the crossing of the lagging units in Riga. On July 1, the Western Dvina was forced by the enemy, after which the units continually retreated to the east.

Defense of Novgorod

August 13, 1941 Chernyakhovsky was ordered to take defensive positions in the eastern suburbs of Novgorod. In the organization of defense, the command capabilities of the officer were manifested. He learned how to quickly and efficiently transfer pieces from point A to point B, which made it extremely difficult for the enemy. In particular, he taught his division not to take anything superfluous with him, but only ammunition, camp kitchens, etc. This was particularly insisted Chernyakhovsky, whose brief biography includes facts about starvation in childhood during the Civil War.

The soldiers carried out excavation work when they were opened fire from mortars. The most capable units were sent to the city Kremlin, which was a strategically important point. Hit of the Nazi army continued to build up due to numerous reserves. By this time, the Reich occupied almost all of Europe and sent all its battle-worthy armies to the east.

A few days later, a third of the personnel left the Chernyakhovsky division. During this time, the Germans conducted thirteen attacks. On the 16th and 17th they tried to storm the Novgorod Kremlin and force the Volkhov River. They were poured with machine-gun fire and bold counterattacks. Critical position forced the command to bring into action the remaining small reserve. Attack of the Germans somewhat weakened after parts of the north-western front tried to conduct a massive counterattack in the area of Staraya Russa. This caused the Hitlerites to share their strength. Some respite gave the 28th division a chance to retreat to the east of the Volkhov River. The headquarters was moved to the uncharted village of Kunino. At this time, Chernyakhovsky found inflammation of the lungs. Because of a serious diagnosis, he was sent to a hospital in the front.

Voronezh

In May 1942 Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich (whose brief biography is the subject of our review) received the rank of colonel-general. He wanted to return to the tank section, because it was this kind of troops that he devoted ten years of his career to. In the end, he was appointed commander of the 18th Panzer Corps, where he arrived in July 1942. This part was on the Bryansk front - not at all in the region where the general had previously fought.

At this time, the southern direction became the main in the confrontation between Germany and the USSR. If Leningrad was in blockade, and battles near Moscow took positional character, then it was in the steppes that the outcome of the war was now being decided. In July, the Germans seized Rostov-on-Don. In order to occupy the Caucasus, an operation "Edelweiss" was proposed at the headquarters of the Reich. This ridge was necessary for Hitler in order to cut off the Soviet Union from the economically important oil from Baku and Grozny.

According to the plan, Army Group "A" was to pursue the retreating behind the Don and capture these important cities. At the same time, the formation of "B" was sent to Stalingrad in order to ensure that the safe rear and support. It was in this direction that Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich came. The biography of the general did not yet contain such operations.

July 3, the army under the command of Paulus and Weichs surrounded the Old Oskol and went to the Don. There was a danger of seizure of Voronezh. At that moment, Stalin telephoned General Golikov, who was informed that he was giving him reinforcements in the form of the 18th Panzer Corps of Chernyakhovsky. Evacuation of the civilian population of Voronezh began. At the same time, the tanks of the 18th Corps began to enter the battle. They dispersed in groups through the city, trying not to let the enemy pass the Don. The rich military experience of General Chernyakhovsky prompted him not to do so, but Golikov did not listen to him and commanded him as a senior in rank.

Ivan Danilovich himself headed one of the brigades near the "Udarnik" state farm in order to inspire his subordinates who boldly followed the commander (14 crews took part in the attack). In this battle, the projectile got into his car, because of what he got a concussion. He again had to go to the hospital, but he refused to do it.

July 7 for the protection of Voronezh was specially created a new Voronezh Front of 4 armies and 4 tank corps. However, counterattacks did not have success. The Germans occupied Voronezh, captured the Donbass and now threatened the lower reaches of the Volga.

At the head of the 60th Army

July 25 Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich, whose biography did without failures at the front, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the 60th Army, who also fought alongside Voronezh. He was appointed instead of Antoniuk, who could not cope with his tasks.

Army General Chernyakhovsky, whose biography was known to every soldier at the front, immediately took up his duties. He kept the defense at Voronezh, periodically imposing his will on the enemy. At the end of August, the Germans in another direction managed to break through to the Volga. Now the main battles were transferred to Stalingrad, while under Voronezh a relative calm ensued.

In winter, when the situation on the Volga began to take shape in favor of the Soviet military, a massive counterattack began to be prepared at Stavka, in which several armies, including the 60th, were to take part at once. These were parts of the Voronezh and Bryansk fronts. The first attacks began on January 24, 1943.

Ivan Chernyakhovsky was to lead the offensive from the eastern side of Voronezh. The biography and successes of the military became for him the best recommendations for Stavka and Stalin. On the 25th, the 60th Army entered Voronezh and completely freed it from the invaders. Between this city and Kastornym surrounded by significant enemy forces, including two Hungarian corps. In the circumstances, an order was issued to develop the offensive with maximum effort, until the front line stabilized. Therefore, the Soviet units, including the army of Chernyakhovsky, moved forward towards Old Oskol, Kursk and Kharkov. At the same time, the 38th Army was to neutralize the surrounded soldiers of the Reich and their allies. The communications of these detachments were cut off, they proved to be defenseless. Meanwhile, the 60th Army entered the Kursk on 8 February. There was also Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich, whose biography was enriched by another successful operation. In March, his soldiers approached the river Sejm.

Preparation for the Battle of Kursk

The successes of the Red Army made it possible to begin preparations for the Battle of Kursk. On March 26, Ivan Danilovich with his units was reassigned to the Central Front. His commander Rokossovsky was impressed by his acquaintance with the young general. Pole and later spoke about it only positively.

When the defense of the Kursk Bulge began, the 60th Army was on one of the tops of the ledge. To its right were the units of Lieutenant-General Batov, and to the left - soldiers led by Chibisov. While the troops stood in place Chernyakhovsky (whose biography included a variety of travels) traveled all the local villages that were in the front line. There was not a single settlement that he did not know. Deep analysis of what is happening and attentiveness to every detail have always been his outstanding features.

The air preparation for the German offensive began on July 6. Commander von Kluge led the attack on the Reich division, but his successes were extremely small. It was possible to advance only 10 kilometers, which was not even a small part of the prepared front line (about 100 kilometers).

Every morning and evening there were high command's flags, where army commanders reported on the state of affairs on their site. Among them was General Chernyakhovsky. The military's biography was full of such meetings and discussions, when the fate of hundreds and thousands of soldiers was decided.

Counterattack

Then came the tank battle near Prokhorovka, where the best parts of the German army were killed. It was the collapse and collapse of the Nazi plan "Citadel". Already on the 23rd day, Soviet troops in a counterattack returned everything that was captured by the Germans during their bloody offensive. August 5, a month after the start of the Battle of Kursk, the cities of Orel and Belgorod were returned.

At the same time, the 60th Army remained in the rear and was waiting for its turn to move forward to the Left Bank Ukraine. Soldiers who spent several months in the trenches tore into battle. Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich was also exposed to this feeling. A brief biography of the general literally dazzles with such days of agonizing waiting in trenches.

In the meantime, for the first time in Moscow, fireworks were organized for the return of Russian cities. Finally in mid-August Chernyakhovsky was summoned by Rokossovsky and received new instructions on the offensive at the front.

On 30 August, at a developing offensive, Glukhov was taken. Ahead was the border with Ukraine. The next day Chernyakhovsky managed to advance 60 kilometers. The Germans left their positions in a hurry. The General did not know a single moment of peace. He constantly traveled from one division to another, argued at headquarters over the map, received instructions on telephone and telegraph lines, which were sometimes installed in remote areas.

In September, other cities were returned: Konotop, Bamach and Nezhin. In November, the First Ukrainian Front was created. Chernyakhovsky, whose biography became an example for other military leaders, took part in a variety of operations. The Dnieper was forced, Kiev and hundreds of settlements of the right-bank Ukraine were liberated.

Commander-in-Chief of the 3rd Belorussian Front

October 17, 1943 biography of General Chernyakhovsky was marked by a landmark event. The officer was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for showing courage when crossing the Dnieper. At the same time an officer at the age of 37 was appointed commander-in-chief of the 3rd Byelorussian Front. He became the youngest man in the Red Army, endowed with such duties. This unsurpassed success was achieved thanks to diligence, courage and ingenuity. The biography of General Chernyakhovsky, in principle, greatly contributed to this appointment.

In the new region, Ivan Danilovich took part in the liberation of such important cities as Vitebsk, Minsk and Vilnius. Chernyakhovsky returned to the same place where he himself met the Great Patriotic War. After the Soviet Baltic was cleared of the invaders, the front moved to the territory of Germany.

Death

February 18, 1945 Chernyakhovsky came under fire in his car. This happened on the outskirts of the city of Melzak (located in East Prussia). Together with him in the car there were 4 more people, but none of them was injured. There was no significant damage to the car.

There is evidence that the biography of Chernyakhovsky ID gave him the opportunity to advance in the service even further. Thus, for example, a decree was prepared in GHQ on conferring the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union, but premature death prevented the command from publishing the paper. The general's body was buried in Vilnius. Much later (in 1992) it was transferred to its native land, to Moscow.

The memory of Chernyakhovsky

Soon after the end of the war, in honor of the general, the German city of Insterburg was renamed Chernyakhovsk. He was transferred to the USSR, since he was in East Prussia (the present Kaliningrad region).

The personal life of General Chernyakhovsky was completely subordinated to the army and the war. From his youth, having found himself in the armed forces, he nevertheless successfully married. The family had two children - a son and a daughter. Chernyakhovsky's personal life interested many. His dizzy career rise, stopped by a fatal fragment, many detractors explained by ties in GHQ. But this, of course, is not so. The young military man was on the crest of the wave also because on the eve of the war the Red Army lost many of its commanders and marshals during Stalin's purges. Vacant places as a result were occupied by talented and diligent, albeit young, military of the new generation.

Biography Chernyakhovsky, a photo of which often fell during the war on the pages of Soviet newspapers, was an excellent material for many patriotic books. The memory of the general was kept in the USSR with the utmost care, as well as all that is connected with that terrible time.